• KP CM tells chief secretary, police chief not to follow ‘unconstitutional’ orders
• Insists Centre’s counterterrorism approach failed; claims KP can restore peace within 100 days
•
uncertain
KP → tell → days
Joins march supporters in Bara; says future strategy to be announced in Swabi
asserted
strategy → join → Swabi
Kundi says governor’s rule, emergency will be imposed ‘to save KP’
asserted
rule → say → KP
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Wednesday took strong exception to Governor Faisal Karim Kundi’s meeting with the chief secretary and provincial police chief and called for legislation to provide for the governor’s impeachment for “violating the Constitution”.
asserted
Afridi → take → Constitution
“A prime minister and the chief minister can be sent home through a vote of no confidence.
asserted
minister → send → confidence
If there is no law, the KP Assembly will legislate [for impeachment of the governor] and nobody will be allowed to derail democracy,” Mr Afridi said.
asserted
Afridi → be → democracy
In a video message shared by his office, the chief minister accused the governor of acting unconstitutionally and attempting to provoke the provincial government but said his administration would continue to abide by the law and Constitution.
“We will follow the Constitution and that hurts ‘them’,” Mr Afridi said while chairing a meeting of the provincial cabinet.
asserted
Afridi → share → cabinet
His remarks came a day after Governor Kundi chaired a meeting with Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah and KP Police Chief Zulfiqar Hameed on the province’s security situation.
asserted
Kundi → come → situation
Mr Afridi urged the two officials not to comply with any unconstitutional or illegal order from anyone.
asserted
Afridi → urge → anyone
KP Advocate General Shah Faisal Utmankhel told the meeting that under Article 131 of the Constitution, the governor could seek information from the chief minister, but could not do so independently.
uncertain
governor → tell → minister
“If I do not order you to take an unconstitutional step, do not obey if someone pushes you to follow any unconstitutional order,” Mr Afridi said.
asserted
Afridi → order → order
The chief minister directed the chief secretary to advise the provincial administration against involvement in any unconstitutional activity and ordered the inspector general of police to investigate firing on PTI workers in Upper South Waziristan.
asserted
minister → direct → Waziristan
Mr Afridi accused the PPP-affiliated governor of staging a “drama” by convening the security meeting and termed the move unconstitutional.
asserted
Afridi → accuse → move
He said the provincial assembly, cabinet and government were fully functional and that such a meeting was unacceptable when the provincial government enjoyed a two-thirds majority.
asserted
government → say → majority
Turning his criticism towards the PPP, Mr Afridi blamed former president Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, along with Gen Yahya Khan, for the separation of East Pakistan and accused President Asif Ali Zardari of seeking to create a similar situation.
asserted
Afridi → turn → situation
“We will not allow any conspiracy to break up Pakistan to succeed,” he said, alleging that the PPP had always prioritised personal interests over national interests.
asserted
PPP → allow → interests
Kundi raises governor’s rule
Meanwhile, Governor Kundi said later on Wednesday that an emergency or governor’s rule would “definitely” be imposed in KP if the prime minister and the president considered it necessary to “save the province” amid the security situation.
asserted
it → raise → situation
Speaking to Geo News, Mr Kundi said there had been precedents for the imposition of an emergency or governor’s rule.
asserted
Kundi → speak → emergency
“In Balochistan, the PPP had to end its government for law and order and impose an emergency,” he said.
asserted
he → have → emergency
Asked whether such a measure would be sustainable if imposed in KP, Mr Kundi said, “The first thing [to decide] is when and whether it is imposed.
asserted
it → ask → KP
We can discuss its sustainability in another programme.”
asserted
We → discuss → programme
Mr Afridi also reiterated his opposition to the Centre’s counterterrorism policy and said his government would not allow further military operations in the province.
asserted
government → reiterate → province
He maintained that terrorism had again been “imposed on the province” and said his government had worked to strengthen the police, Counter-Terrorism Department and Special Branch since he took office on Oct 15, 2025.
asserted
he → maintain → Oct
Mr Afridi alleged that successive federal governments had imposed military operations on KP since 2004, displacing people who had still not received full compensation.
asserted
who → allege → compensation
He claimed nearly Rs100bn in compensation remained outstanding and said tribal families displaced from their homes had been promised Rs400,000 per household, but many had yet to receive the full amount.
He also referred to a commitment to provide Rs370m to Rs380m a month to displaced people from North Waziristan living at the Baka Khel camp, stressing that the promised payments were still not being made.
asserted
payments → claim → camp
Mr Afridi said KP was fighting terrorism while also dealing with the consequences of federal policies and claimed peace could be restored within 100 days if the approach advocated by provincial stakeholders was adopted.
uncertain
approach → say → stakeholders
He argued that the Centre’s counterterrorism policy had failed to bring peace either in KP or Balochistan and called for a change in approach.
asserted
policy → argue → approach
KP can establish peace within 100 days,” he said.
asserted
he → establish → days
Later on Wednesday, PTI workers from Bara, Jamrud and Landi Kotal welcomed the chief minister in his hometown of Bara as he travelled towards Peshawar as part of the party’s march.
asserted
he → welcome → march
Addressing supporters from the top of a truck, Mr Afridi said no pressure tactic could weaken his resolve and again vowed not to allow further military operations in KP.
uncertain
tactic → address → KP
He said the rights of the province would be pursued and announced that the future strategy for the march would be unveiled on reaching Swabi.
asserted
strategy → say → Swabi
The chief minister and participants in the march were expected to stay overnight in Bara before leaving for Peshawar on Thursday (today).
asserted
minister → expect → Thursday
The provincial cabinet approved forwarding to the federal government a joint resolution adopted by the KP Assembly condemning an incident in which the chief minister was allegedly taken away by Punjab Police in a vehicle, separated from his security detail and later left on the roadside without security during a visit to Punjab.
uncertain
minister → approve → Punjab
The cabinet also approved obtaining $250m in World Bank financing for the READY-KP project under the bank’s applicable financing terms.
asserted
cabinet → approve → terms
Our correspondent in Khyber also contributed to this report
Published in Dawn, October 8th, 2026
asserted
correspondent → contribute → Dawn
The Aporia
